Stok Palace, Leh Ladakh

 

Stok Palace, Leh Ladakh 

Located about 15 km from Leh, Stok Palace is the summer residence of the royal family of Ladakh and descendants of King Sengge Namgyal. It was built in 1820 by King Tsepal Namgyal and opened to the public by the Dalai Lama in 1980. The Stok Palace has been converted into a heritage hotel and houses the Stok Palace Museum and Temple. The hotel's rustic interiors exude regal, antique décor alongside some whimsically decorated rooms. Besides, the Stok Palace is also a well-preserved traditional piece of Buddhist culture. The hotel is divided into six units within the Stok Palace and three more units in the Chulli Bagh Villa.

Stok Palace Museum

Inside the magnificent palace is the Stok Palace Museum, which houses valuable artefacts and jewels of King Sengge Namgyal and his descendants, attracting many historians and anthropologists. Ancient coins, royal seals, valuable jewellery and photographs are kept in this museum. Here you will also find the royal family's collection of paintings, over 400 years old, depicting Buddhist deities. They are known as thangkas and are very popular among the Buddhist community. There is also a separate room with a selection of guns, shields, swords, quivers and arrows that belonged to the royal family. The biggest highlight of the Stok Palace Museum is Yub-Jhur, the Queen's Crown, which contains 401 lumps of ancient turquoise, coral and golden nuggets along with other ancient jewels. Another ancient artefact is the King's Sword, which was bent into a knot by the King's Oracle.

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